doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT: Eating Ducks

Divers just take too much smoke and mirror recipies for my palate. Can't hardly taste the duck with the ones I've had. I've arrived at that point in my life that it's now important how I get my waterfowl. I made a commitment some years ago to pick up some old beaters. Foxes, Parkers and Ithaca shotguns in worn but sound condition for waterfowling and put away a more recent model double. And I've got to roll my own bismuth. I couldn't imagine getting away from those days on the stinking, icy, weed choked water. The only chance I have at upland is to buy them at $13 apiece. They even put nice little yellow flags where they were released. Not for me.

The guys I hunt with can't believe that coots make decent table fare. They are not the best, but can be pretty darn good if prepared properly. My favorite simple recipe is pan seared ringneck breasts (rare), in a cherry or blackberry cabernet reduction, with just a bit of apple and sweet onion.

Of all the guys I hunt ducks with, very few actually eat what they shoot. So a few years ago I made up a huge batch of duck breasts with portobello mushrooms, red and yellow peppers, green onions, wrapped in a bacon strip and marinated and glazed on the BBQ in a blend of apricot brandy, apricot preserves and a few pureed fresh apricots (one of the few benefits of being in Southern California during duck season). Their opinions of ducks changed pretty quickly.

I like the idea of hunting over handmade decoys with an old American double (my Lefever 16 with hand-rolled bismuth will have to do for now, but I have two boxes of 12b tungsten 2.5" #5's waiting for a nice damascus gun to put them in), with a hand-made boat, and picking which ducks to shoot based on taste. Here in WA., there's lots of coastal ducks to shoot which get pretty gamey. Eastern WA., however, in the cornfields and sloughs, is the domain of tasty cornfed mallards. I just wish my brit could sit still in a duck blind. He just wants to run, which he's bred for. But, I hate leaving him at home to chase ducks. He goes nuts. Ergo, my dilemma.

I've read my post several times, and I fail to see the statement that all ducks except mallards eat fish. But then, knowing so little about ducks, refresh my memory about what a canvasback LOOKS like.

Oh, yea, one way to go after the eating is to get some different recipes and try them out. Some of the ones that folks have written about here sound great. I also have searched some of the internet and come up with some new ones every year. Have one old friend who limits his take every year now to a few ducks. But he still goes out with us, and by himself and shoots poppers (he's a good enough shot, it's kind of catch and release). He also figures he is doing some "educating" of the ducks, decoys, calls and shoots poppers at them. Lot's of ways to still enjoy being out in the brush. Have a great New Year!!!

I just found a recipe that I sent to a friend a couple of years ago. A lot of it is generic So Cal Mexican, but I left the details in for those of you who may be unfamiliar with CA/AZ/TX cuisine. We cook this every year on opening day of dove season, but it works even better with ducks. Enjoy.

Following is the carne asaduck recipe I mentioned previously. It's a variation on traditional Mexican carne asada, works equally well on doves, and would probably work on geese as well. You can get as elaborate as you want with the ingredients, or just use stuff right from the supermarket. Vary the quantities to suit the amount of game you have and the number of guys you are trying to feed. I usually prepare big batches because the leftovers are better than the fresh stuff.


Breast out the birds and wash the breasts thoroughly, removing the breasts from the bone. If you have the time, age them in a stainless steel or glass bowl for a few days in the refrigerator, none of this stuff about milk or salt brine to draw the blood out of the meat. Just wash 'em, age 'em, and cook 'em. You can also cook them on the day you shoot them.

If using doves, leave the breasts whole. If using ducks or geese, slice or cube the breasts to about the size of dove breasts, or a bit smaller. Place meat in a stainless, glass, or plastic bowl (NOT aluminum or cast iron because the next ingredient will etch the metal; sounds good already, doesn't it?).

Pour one or more cans of Jalapenos en Escabeche (whole jalapenos, carrots, onions, and brine) over the meat so that it is completely submerged, reserving a few of the jalapenos for your refried beans. Stir the mix before covering and every half hour or so before cooking; place covered container in refrigerator if you have one. The jalapenos and brine will begin to "cook" the meat chemically and the meat will begin to turn slightly gray. As Martha would say, "This is a good thing." The longer you leave the meat in the brine, the more tender and flavorful it becomes. Make sure you stir the mix occasionally so that the brine can work its magic. You need to marinate for at least a few hours to get the full effect, and overnight is good if you really like spicy food. If you are feeling adventurous, throw a few fresh or dried arbole peppers into the mix.

Before you cook the meat, pour off the brine and discard all of the peppers, carrots and onions that have been in the marinade, but do not rinse the meat. You'll need to prep the other stuff before you cook the meat, but when you are ready to cook, the best method is to put the meat in a vegetable basket on the BBQ on high heat, so that the excess liquid can drain off during cooking (do NOT overcook the meat). You can also use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, but you'll need very high heat and you will have to pour off the liquid as the meat cooks. You can get a nice brown on the meat by drizzling a bit of oil during cooking (I like olive oil).

If you want homemade salsa (highly recommended) do it a day ahead of timeso that the flavors can meld. I like to use a blender to put it all together, and it's better than anything you can buy. Start with a large can of diced jalapenos, and a large can of diced tomatoes. Throw 'em in the blender (you may have to split up the batches, depending on the size of your blender). Add one or two large diced sweet onions (Maui onions are the best). Add a couple of fresh diced tomatoes. Add a full bunch (or two, depending on taste) of diced cilantro. Squeeze in the juice of a large lime (or two small ones). And finally throw in a couple (or more) fresh or dried arbole peppers; if you are using dried arboles, soak them in water for a couple of hours before adding to the salsa. Whip up the mix, but not so thoroughly that the ingredients lose their individual identities. You want the salsa to have enough texture that you can see the individual ingredients in the final mix. Adjust to taste before pouring into a large plastic storage vessel with a screw-on lid. If it's too spicy, you can tone it down by diluting with store-bought salsa (I like La Victoria Mild, but only when necessary). If you want more texture in the salsa, skip the blender and prep the individual ingredients in a CuisinArt, then pour into a large container with a screw-on lid so that you can shake the final product to mix it.

The beans are elegantly simple. Buy a few cans of refried beans (preferably lard-free) and dice the jalapenos that you saved before you marinated the meat. Blend the diced jalapenos into the beans with a bit of olive oil to get the right consistency, and heat the mix in a pot or large saucepan.

When all this is ready, you are ready to assemble the burritos. Warm some flour and/or corn tortillas, throw some of the hot bean mix on them, add hot meat, diced onions, diced cilantro, shredded cheese (jack, cheddar, or queso fresca), a dash of sour cream, a bit of diced green onions, some avocado or guacamole, and as much salsa as you can handle; squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice on top to finish. Pop a really cold Corona or Tecate, and you have fine dining at its best.

If you prep the bean mix and the salsa before leaving home, you can do the rest of the prep in hunt camp. The diced onions, diced cilantro, and lime wedges can be transported in Tupperware in your ice chest, but make sure the onion container is well sealed. If you want to be a bit more elegant, use spinach wraps instead of tortillas. The green color of the spinach wraps adds a particularly festive touch for holiday parties. Yes, too much Food TV can be a bad thing.

A couple of decent AH Fox guns, and three Labs to do all the duck fetching you need - not all three at one time mind you. I park less than fifty yards from the little inlet that I shoot(great for mallards). My blind is made-up of shocked willows in front of me and pines for the background. A folding chair with a pillow, coffee thermos and I'm set. Just sixty minutes from home.

Another:

Duck breast fajitas on toasted French rolls. Thin strips of pintail and teal breast seared in lemon-infused olive oil, accompanied by sauteed peppers and onions with a dash of garlic, plus the Secret Mexican Spice Blend (an ad lib concoction of powdered garlic and onion, dried colorado red and arbole chiles, cumin, salt, and some other stuff I can't remember), and a melted slice of manchego cheese.

I have two blackies roasting in the oven as I type this, they are very similar in size and appearance to a female mallard. One of our most common waterfowl is a whistle-duck, however they are tenacious to pluck and many hunters skin or breast-fillet them.

Hal, its a pity your advice has come a day too late for me (our Northern Territory waterfowl season ended at sunset yesterday), but I will definitely try your cleaning method on a few whistlers come September!

Jack - being a Czech and having a grandfather that lived on coot breasts during the depression has peaked my interest in what a Czech booya is. Care to share?

By the way, even though my grandfather ate a lot of coot back in the day, he said he had to soak the breasts in milk for days before cooking to make them pallatable.